The present invention relates to fluid regulating devices, such as are used for regulating the flow of water from a supply pipe to various types of devices, e.g. rotary sprinklers, water trickler nozzles, and the like.
There are many applications for fluid regulating devices. One such application is for supplying water under a constant pressure to a rotary sprinkler. Another application particularly gaining wide-spread use at the present time is in trickle irrigation, wherein a trickler nozzle is tapped to a water pipe to provide a slow flow or trickle of irrigating water. A further application is in poultry drinkers, wherein the water supplied to the drinker is to be maintained at a predetermined level in the drinker receptacle.
The known fluid regulating devices usually involve a distinct design for each such application. In addition, the known designs usually require a large number of parts, which are costly to produce, install and maintain.
With respect to trickler nozzles, the known designs are generally characterized by the provision of a circuitous path and/or small openings or passageways for the water in order to reduce the rate of flow to a slow trickle. Such trickler nozzles easily become clogged and therefore necessitate frequent cleaning unless only highly filtered water is used. Further, cleaning the nozzles usually requires them to be disassembled which is inconvenient and time-consuming. The known trickler nozzles are also costly to produce.